New free tool: plan a complete home golf sim for your room and budget.
Curated guide

Build a Garage Golf Simulator

For playing when it's grim outside.

Turn the garage into a year-round practice bay and the weather stops being an excuse. A home simulator comes down to four things: a launch monitor (the brain that hands you real numbers), something to hit into (an impact screen or net), a quality hitting mat, and enough safe swing space. Get those right and you can practise and play whatever it's doing outside.

We've spread the picks across budgets because the build is modular. Spend the most on the launch monitor and the mat — those are what you feel and rely on every session. A budget unit like the Garmin R10 or Square paired with a net and a good mat gets you started for far less than a full setup, often cheaper than a couple of seasons of green fees, and you can add an impact screen later for the immersive picture. Putting kit rounds it out.

Before you buy a single thing, measure your ceiling height and swing clearance — taller players need more, and safety beats every other spec. This shelf suits the golfer who plays through grim winters and wants reps on demand; it's an investment that pays back against range and course costs, not a casual purchase.

  1. A compact camera-based launch monitor and simulator for indoor use, sold direct in the UK through Square Golf's own site.

  2. The Garmin Approach R10 is a pocket-sized radar launch monitor aimed at the golfer who wants real data, range practice, and a basic home sim setup without remortgaging the house.

  3. A portable camera-plus-radar launch monitor from Rapsodo that doubles as a home sim, aimed at golfers who want proper ball data without remortgaging the house for a Trackman or GCQuad.

  4. A doppler radar launch monitor with a built-in screen and remote, aimed at the average club golfer who wants real numbers at the range or in the garage without a monthly subscription.

  5. A tensioned polyester impact screen that doubles as your projection surface and your ball-stopper, aimed at anyone building a home or garage golf sim instead of paying club rates to hit into a TrackMan bay.

  6. The FORB Pro Pop-Up net in the 10x7ft size, a simple flat-panel hitting net for back garden practice, aimed at anyone who wants to bash balls at home without a full cage.

  7. The FORB Tri-Turf is a small, foldable three-section practice mat (roughly 60cm x 40cm) with separate fairway, rough and fringe turf strips, aimed at golfers who want to rehearse different lies in the garage, garden or at the range without lugging a full mat about.

  8. 08

    PuttOut Putting Mat

    PuttOut

    The PuttOut Putting Mat is a roll-up indoor putting mat with printed alignment and distance guides, aimed at golfers who want to grind on short putts at home over winter or before a round.

  9. A premium roll-out putting mat with a wooden frame, two hole sizes, alignment "train track" lines and a gravity ball return, fronted by Dustin Johnson. Aimed at golfers who want to grind their short putts at home or in the office.

  10. A collapsible, spring-framed net that pops open into a freestanding target, usually with a couple of pocket holes to aim at. It's the cheap, grab-and-go way to practice chips and pitches in the garden without peppering the fence.

Frequently asked

What do I need to build a garage golf simulator?
Four things: a launch monitor (the brain), something to hit into (an impact screen or net), a quality hitting mat, and safe swing space. Spend most on the launch monitor and mat, start with a net if budget is tight, and check your ceiling height first.
What's the cheapest way to get a home simulator?
A budget launch monitor like the Garmin R10 or Square paired with a net and a good mat gets you started for far less than a full build — often cheaper than a couple of years of green fees. Add an impact screen later for the immersive picture.
How much ceiling height do I need for a garage sim?
Enough to make a full swing with arms extended without clipping the ceiling — measure your own swing, as taller players need more. Swing clearance and safety matter more than any other spec, so confirm the space before buying the kit.
Do I need a screen, or will a net do?
A net is plenty if you mainly want to practise and see your numbers — it's cheaper, smaller and the sensible place to start. An impact screen adds the projected, play-the-course experience, so add it later once the launch monitor, mat and net are sorted.
Are budget launch monitors accurate enough for home use?
For practice and improvement, yes — units like the Garmin R10, Rapsodo MLM2 Pro or Square give consistent, useful feedback that's plenty to train with. They're not tour-fitting tools, so treat the absolute numbers as a guide and focus on the trends and relative changes.

Related reading

More on this from the desk